


This Time

by DreamerFae



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: F/M, Fluff, One Shot, events before aogiri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 06:10:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21011042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamerFae/pseuds/DreamerFae
Summary: Touka decides to be honest with her feelings and hopes that it will be enough this time.





	This Time

**Author's Note:**

> featuring black haired kaneki after the incident with hinami and tsukiyama and before he got kidnapped by aogiri!

Touka let out a sigh of relief once it was her shift break and headed quickly to the break room. Her heart did a little jump when she saw the half-eyed ghoul--Kaneki--sleeping on the couch.

Closing the door quietly behind her, she tiptoed towards the couch opposite the one he was sleeping on and sat down slowly. He was sleeping so soundly that she can't help but lean forward, put her elbows on her thighs and rest her face in her hands with a smile.

She watched him sleep for some time before noticing how his lips moved, as if attempting to form words. Curious, she waited patiently to see what he would say and the words that came out shocked her.

"Touka-chan..."

Of all things, her name fell from his lips.

Her heart started racing. Was he dreaming about her? Why would he call her name?

Wanting to make sure she didn't hear wrongly and that she wasn't deaf, she waited for the next time he spoke. If there was a next time. 

And it happened again. 

"Touka-chan..."

He called her name in his sleep again.

Abruptly standing, she walked over to him and poked his cheek repeatedly. "Heyyyy. Wake up."

Kaneki's eyes cracked open and he looked around dazedly. His eyes widened upon realizing that Touka was standing in front of him with a frown. He shot up to sit instead of continuing to lay down. "T-touka-chan?! What are you doing here?"

"It's my break time, of course I'm in here. Why are YOU here? Your shift doesn't start till 2 hours later."

"Ah right... I had time so I thought maybe I could rest in here for a bit. Umm... Why are you looking at me like that?" He withdrew further into the couch at the deadly glare she was giving him.

Her eyes narrowed. "You called my name in your sleep. What were you dreaming about? Something perverted huh?!"

"N-No! Wait, I called your name?!"

"Not only once, but twice. Why was I in your dream? Tell me."

He winced. "Promise that you won't be angry no matter what I say?"

"It depends on the contents of your dream. I might kill you."

It was scary how she said it without any emotion on her face. She was serious and he swallowed.

"I--I was dreaming about how we were both in the same room where I had my head on your lap and you were...stroking my head. Umm, running your fingers through my hair."

Her brow raised. "Why would I be doing that?"

"I don't know.."

That was what he said because he couldn't very well tell her that he had a crush on her, now could he? He knew this dream occurred due to his unrequited love and wanting to be close to her.

"Oh well, since you were dreaming about it, let's give it a try." Touka sat down beside him on the couch and forced his head down onto her lap. 

"W-Wha--!" Kaneki fell onto her lap clumsily and found himself facing the opposite couch. Her hand rested on his head and soon she was stroking his head gently. His throat felt extremely dry and he can't help but feel so many things.

He felt the warmth of her thighs, the gentle caress of her hand and the racing beat of his heart. His cheeks flushed red and Touka laughed at him for being so shy. Despite teasing him, she herself also felt a little embarrassed and self-conscious about her actions.

What was wrong with her? Her normal self would never do something like this. Normally, she would beat him up for even having this kind of dream involving her but she was now actually enjoying the feel of her fingers through his silky black hair and the cuteness of his blush on his cheeks.

"What else did you dream about?" She continued asking, her voice coming out gentler and more feminine than she thought it would.

Kaneki squeezed his eyes shut. She would definitely kill him for the next one. "Y-you leaned into my ear and told me you liked me. I-I know that will never happen because you'll never like someone like me--"

The rest of his words were tuned out as Touka stared straight ahead and started thinking. Like, huh? Her cheeks burned. She liked him plenty well actually. After what happened with Hinami and Tsukiyama, she found herself falling in love with the innocent him.

When she was young, she always looked up to her father for being the kind man he was. She wanted to marry someone like her father.

She looked down at the male in her lap and counted mentally the reasons why she liked this man.

1\. He was caring to Hinami, who she treated as if she were her own sister.

2\. He was gentle with how he treated her wounds when she got them from an investigator.

3\. He was humble. Maybe too humble when he refused to take credit for the good things he had done.

4\. He was understanding. He covered for her when Yoshimura scolded her for getting involved with the doves.

5\. He was hard working and willing to put in the effort. She could see it in his training and the improvements he has made.

Touka then thought about how she has never been honest about her feelings with the men in her life. When her father left, she didn't say anything to stop him from leaving. When Ayato left, she only scolded him and never once asked him to stay. 

She loved both of them but she couldn't and didn't say a word to make them stay. Instead, she hid her feelings and always ends up regretting what she did not do and what she could have done.

People tend to get distant when something bad happens to them and this often ends with them leaving. Having been abandoned so many times by the people she loved, she could tell when someone had those thoughts. 

While Kaneki pretended that he was fine by faking his smiles, she noticed that he had changed since the incident with Hinami and Tsukiyama. She knew that the thoughts that once filled her father's and Ayato's mind were now in Kaneki's mind.

For her father, it was her mother's death that made him want to die and join her in the afterlife. 

For her brother, it was their parents' deaths that made him realize his weaknesses.

For Kaneki, it was for strength to protect his loved ones that he wanted to leave.

And so, to prevent experiencing the feelings of abandonment once again, Touka swallowed her pride and leaned down to his ear, hoping that her words would be enough to make him stay. As long as he stayed, they could work everything out.

This time, she would be honest about her feelings.

This time, she would make sure that he would stay.

"I like you, Kaneki."


End file.
